A lone piper played as Spike Milligan was buried yesterday in a hilltop churchyard overlooking the English Channel.

It was a sad, invitation-only occasion for about 40 family and close friends to say goodbye to the comic who once said that, when he died, he hoped he would not be there.

The Prince of Wales sent a wreath of white roses with a hand-written card that read: "For Dear Spike, in grateful and affectionate memory." Nearby was a single red rose from Eric Sykes. His message said simply: "I won't say goodbye, Spike, because I'll be with you soon."

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Milligan, an Irish national who died a week ago at the age of 83, was buried in the cemetery at St Thomas's Church in Winchelsea, Sussex, close to his home outside Rye.The "Goon" family was represented. Among the mourners were Sir Harry Secombe's widow, Myra, her daughter Jenny, and Peter Sellers's children, Michael and Sara.

A funeral service was held earlier at the small Roman Catholic Church of St Anthony of Padua, in Rye, where the comedian's coffin arrived draped in the Irish tricolour.

His widow Shelagh, 56, his third wife, followed the coffin into church on the arm of Milligan's eldest son, Sean, 47. For reasons not explained, Sean Milligan was wearing under his suit a red T-shirt emblazoned with a smiling Oriental face.

His wreath, in the colours of the Irish flag bore the word "Spag", which is believed to have been a family name for the comic genius. The card from Mr Milligan and his wife read: "With all our love, Om Shanti Goonius, Sean and Barbara (Spon and Sponse)."

Mrs Milligan's wreath was made of sunflowers, her husband's favourite. Her card said: "Thank you for loving me, darling, and for the incredible life we shared. Always in love with you, Shelagh."

During the funeral service, there were outbursts of laughter as Fr David Young, who had become a family friend during his time as parish priest in Rye, delivered the homily and recalled moments of chaos caused by his most famous parishioner.